Luggage-carrier for bicycles



(No Model.)

B. SPENCER. LUGGAGE CARRIER FOR BIOYGLES.

No. 596,636. Patented Jan.4,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT sPENoER, 0F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

LUGGAGE-CARRIER FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,636, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed November 25, 1896. Serial No. 613,363. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

.Beitknown that I, ROBERT SPENCER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luggage-Carriers for Bicycles, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple, cheap,durable, and effective means whereby bundles or like luggage can be readily and securely attached to the handlebaror other convenient parts of a velocipedeframe; and the invention consists in various novel features of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

While my invention relates more particularly to an improved bundle-carrier or luggage-carrier for bicycles, I do not wish the invention to be understood as restricted to this specific use, since manifestly it may be employed with advantage in a variety of other situations.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bicycle-handle having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail View, in side elevation, of myimproved luggage-carrier. Fig. 3 is a front view,

and Fig. 4 is a rear View. Fig. 5 is a view in central section on line 5 5 of Fig.4. Fig. 6 is a view in vertical transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. l

A designates the handle-bar of a bicycle, to which two of my improved luggage-carriers are shown as attached, since it will be found convenient to use these in pairs, as shown, and A denotes a bundle which is shown by dotted lines as sustained at the front of the handle-bar. In the preferred form of the invention the luggage-carrier comprises a casin g B, through which extends a shaft I), preferably formed in piece with an end plate B of the casin g B, the opposite end of the shaft 19 being preferably shouldered and passing through the opposite end of the casing B and being held in place by means of a screw b. (See Figs. 2 and 6.) The shaftbis, by preference, tubular and formed with a longitudinal slot to admit one end of a tape-line O, the inner end of-the tape-line 0 being enlarged orprovided with convenient means whereby it may be fastened to the shaft 1). The tape-line 0 extends through a slot formed in the front of the casing B and is provided at its end with a metal loop or eye 0, for a purpose to be pres-v ently stated. The end plate B of the casing B, which carries the shaft 1), is provided with a handle Z2 01 other convenient means whereby it may be turned in order to permit the tape 0 to be rewound after it has been withdrawn from the casing.

In the preferred form of my invention the end plate B is provided with a notched or toothed flange b adapted to be engaged by the free end of the spring pawl or detent D, the purpose of this construction being to prevent the withdrawal of the tape from the casing beyond the required distance, and the opposite end of the spring pawl or detent D is rigidly attached to some part of the casing or its support. In order to retain the end of the tape 0 after it has been withdrawn to the desired distance from the casin g and has been passed around the bundle to be retained, I provide a hook E, and, if desired, also an additional hook E, these hooks projecting from the casing and being adapted to engage the loop or eye 0 at the free end of the tape 0.

By reference more particularly to Figs. 2 and 5 it will'he seen that the detent D is so arranged that it may be pressed laterally by the finger out of engagement with the teeth of the notched flange b and when thus disengaged from the flange the tape 0 can be freely withdrawn from the casing B. As soon, however, as the spring-detent D is released it will prevent further withdrawal of the tape 0 from the casing 13. Having with drawn the desired amount of tape from the casing C, it may be passed around the bundle one or more times, and the loop cat the free end of the tape will then he slipped over the hook E. In order to tighten the tape about the bundle, the handle b can then be turned to wind up the tape slightly, and as this winding occurs the spring-detentD will retain the tape (l in its wound or tightened condition. It will thus be seen that by my invention any desired length of tape may be withdrawn from the casing, the remainder of the tape being securely retained against withdrawal.

f will be guarded against.

In order to connect the casing B with the handle or other desired part of the bicycle, I prefer to provide the casing B with a bracket F, formed in piece with or conveniently attached to the casing. This bracket F has a curvedinner surface and is formed at one side with an arm f, having a threaded opening therein to receive a thumb-screw G, and at the other side the bracket is formed with a headed or flanged pin or lug f, adapted to enter holes h in a retaining-strap H, that by preference is formed of thin spring metal. The opposite end h of the metal strap H is bent, as shown, and is provided with a hole through which the screw G will pass, and between the ends h of the strap Hand the bent end f of the bracket F is preferably interposed a soft-rubber washer K, although such washer is not essential.

By the means above described I am enabled to attach the casing B to handlebars or other parts of bicycles regardless of the exact size of suchparts, since by passingapin f through different holes h in the strap 11 the strap can be fitted to different sizes of tubes. In order to permit the strap H to be firmly attached to the handle-bar or other tubular part,the screw G will be first loosened, so as to permit the end h of the strap H to move to a distance from the arm f of the bracket F, and the strap H will then be passed around the handle-bar or other tubular part and the lug or pin f will be passed through the adjacent hole h. The thumb-screw Gwill then be turned so as to draw the end h of the strap H toward the end f of the bracket F, and by this means the strap will be caused to tightly grip upon the handle-bar and all danger of the opposite end of the strap slipping from off the pin or lug Thisv means of attaching the casing B to the handle-bar is an important feature of my invention, since it enables the casing to be quickly and securely fastened in position against danger of accidental displacement, and it is obvious that this feature of my invention can beused in connection with various other devices that are to be attached to handle-bars or other parts of a velocipede.

It is manifest that the precise details of construction above described may be varied,

within wide limits without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. Thus, for example, provision may be made for automatically winding up the tape 0, as in the case of ordinary measuring tape-lines, in order to wind up the tape after the bundle had been removed. Therefore I do not wish the invention to be understood as restricted to the exact details of construction above set out. So, also, it is obvious that instead of a tape a cord or band of other character might be employed, and the word tape is meant to be sufficiently comprehensive to include such obvious equivalents.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- y 1. An article of the character described comprising a casing B having an end 13' provided,

with a flanged edge forming a ratchet-plate 17 a shaft connected to said end B, a tape 0 upon said shaft 1) and a spring-detent D engaging said ratchet-plate b substantially as described.

2. The combination with a casing or part to be attached, of a suitable bracket provided with a pin or hook and a flexible strap H provided with one or more holes and a screw G for attachingone end of said strap H to said bracket, substantially as described. 

